Refrigerator air filter

Abstract

An air filter system for refrigerators includes an economically and easily manufactured housing having a replaceable air filter supported within the housing, and a releasable connector associated with the housing permits the housing of the air filter system to be readily and easily removed from the refrigerator, to permit the easy replacement of the air filter.

Description

1. Field of the InventionThe invention relates to an air filter system for use in a refrigerator, and a refrigerator having an air filter system which filters air flowing between the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator into the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.2. Description of Related ArtVarious devices have been proposed over the years to filter air from the refrigerated, fresh food compartment of a refrigerator, to reduce food odors in the compartments of the refrigerator, as well as reduce odors in the air flowing back into the freezer compartment. By reducing food odors in the refrigerated, fresh food compartment of a refrigerator, odors in ice made in the freezer compartment, as well as the taste of such ice is improved.Such devices have included fans, glow discharge lamps, ozone decomposing catalysts, deodorant blocks, particles of activated carbon, and ultraviolet lamps operative to radiate an ultraviolet ray to a photocatalyst layer, among others. Additionally...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

In accordance with the invention, the foregoing advantages have been achieved through the present air filter system for use in a refrigerator having a fresh food compartment, having a plurality of planar wall surfaces, and a freezer compartment with an air return passageway disposed in fluid communication between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. The air filter system for filtering at least some of the air flowing from the fresh food compartment through the air return passageway into the freezer compartment, of the present invention, may include: a housing having an interior defined by a plurality of wall members formed integral with each other, each wall member having an inner surface and an outer surface; at least two of the wall members having integrally formed on each of their inner surfaces at least one support member; a replaceable air filter supported by the at least two support members, the air filter being disposed intermediate at least one opening formed in the housing and the air return passageway; at least one mounting member formed integral with at least one wall member, the at least one mounting member having a mounting surface lying in a plane which is substantially coplanar with at least one of the planar wall surfaces of the fresh food compartment; and a releasable connector disposed on the mounting surface of the at least one mounting member which releasably connects the housing to at least one of the planar wall surfaces of the fresh food compartment, whereby upon disconnecting the housing from the fresh food compartment, the air filter may be easily replaced.

The air filter system, and refrigerator having an air filter system, of the present invention, when compared with previously proposed refrigerator air filter systems, have the advantages of: including few parts and components; the air filter may be easily and readily changed by the user of the refrigerator; and the air filter system may be easily and economically manufactured.

Problems solved by technology

Additionally, some refrigerators manufactured in Japan utilize a ceramic filter built into the refrigerator; however, the filter is not changeable, and only lasts approximately seven years.

The present devices of the types previously described have many disadvantages since: they generally include many parts and components; the filter, or deodorant device, is not easily and readily changed by the user of the refrigerator, or may not be changed at all; and they are not inexpensive to manufacture.

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